心魂
by Sage of 69 Paths
Summary: Nobody in their right mind would choose to be reborn to a dangerous world full of ninja, eyeball stealing old men, demons, and more. But I've never been good at making decisions when I'm being rushed, and I also never claimed to be sane. AU. SI OC.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

_The Start of It All._

* * *

"Number 104!"

A booming voice startled me awake, and I slumped forward in surprise. Why was I sitting upright? My surroundings were entirely unfamiliar- a waiting room of sorts. A breeze drifted through an open window and sent chills up my exposed legs. I was wearing a hospital gown and holding a clipboard full of papers.

"Number 104!"

That voice again.

I looked around to find the room empty, and then looked down at the papers. _104._

"That's me" I mumbled, unsure of what it meant.

There was only one door in the place. I got up. My legs felt like jelly. The place didn't smell like anything, didn't look out of the ordinary in any way.

My last memory was getting a ride home from a party. I fell asleep in the backseat. Maybe there was an accident? I quicked my pacing with worry.

When I reached the door handle, and threw open the thing- I was expecting a doctor.

A doctor is _not_ what was behind it.

A woman sat at a desk. She was wearing a business suit and doing paperwork, next to an enormous machine that appeared to be printing something. Her hair was black and pinned back neatly, she wore bright red lipstick, and her face just read 'don't fuck with me.'

"Finally" she sounded annoyed and carried a thick New Yorker accent "sit down."

I did as I was told. I don't intimidate easily but damn. A pretty woman that takes zero shit is undeniably hot. I set down the clipboard with my 'number' on her desk. I pulled out the blue plastic seat and my butt hit it with a dull thud. In the back of my mind, I hoped I wasn't wearing the absolutely whorish thong from the party underneath my hospital gown. I cringed then- thinking about whoever had to dress me.

"Uh…who are you?" I cleared my throat trying to sound less anxious "What happened?"

She finally looked up from her work then.

Sparkling green eyes colored with boredom. I winced for what felt like the hundredth time since I woke up.

"I'm gonna go through this spiel pretty fast, so keep up. There's about one hundred more souls that I gotta get through before I can take a break. My identity isn't important but since you asked- I am, what your world would consider, God's assistant. I do the dirty work for the creator of the many universes."

I tightened my grip on the arms of the chair to keep from reacting.

"You, Elizabeth Lang, died at 2AM in a car accident leaving a New Years party at age 20."

_Now _the horror sat clear on my face. Desk woman's features peppered with amusement.

And here I thought I was just getting billed for a stomach pump.

"You're here because your decided death date upon birth was to be on your 61st birthday. Sometimes there's a blip" she shrugged "we can't account for human error and it results in earlier passings. Your driver was behind the wheel high off of ecstasy. But she was never meant to be at _that_ party and therefore...here you are."

"Normally when people die- they are reincarnated. No mess and no fuss. But in the instance that a life is cut short, that soul is brought _here_ first. You're basically getting a set amount of perks based off how much good or bad you did as Elizabeth Lang to carry onto your next life aaaand you get to keep your memories. As sort of a 'sorry you bit the bullet too soon.' "

She swivelled suddenly in her chair and snatched one of the papers out of the printer, tossing it to me carelessly. I scrambled to grab it just as she tossed a pen. _That_ hit the floor and I had to pick it up.

I wasn't being given time to process it all. I looked down at what I'd been given.

A list of various worlds. Some of them with names in different languages. The list covered the page from top to bottom.

_My dad, my boyfriend, my dog._

_Its gone… I'll never see them again._

I flipped it over. On the other side of the sheet- sat in red lettering, 'KARMA' and next to it...a number 7. I opened and closed my mouth. I couldn't even form words.

"That's a pretty high score. I should have read through your file all the way" I jumped about a foot in the air, feeling the woman behind me. I hadn't even seen her move. The wind never shifted and her feet never hit the floor. She just _appeared _over my shoulder.

Creepy. I shivered.

"What did ya do? Save a bunch of orphans or something?"

My nose crinkled in distaste.

"I inherited a lot of money from a family member who wasn't a great person so I just donated it all. I also gave a friend a liver" I shrugged "other than that...I've been a mediocre person."

_The price of a funeral, the price of cremation, who's going to pay for my mom's medical care?_

The woman didn't reply and I could still feel her breath on my neck- it was giving a whole new meaning to rushed. I was being absolutely shoved through the motions. I wouldn't be able to process losing _my entire life _until I filled out a fucking paper. It all felt very insane.

The 'perks' I could choose from varied. There were physical ones like increased speed or literally thick skin, there were mental ones like _intuition_, and then there were things like luck and social status.

"I can't help you pick but please hurry up" she sounded strained.

"Yeah I know you've got a hundred more _blips_ as soon as I'm done" I grumbled and began checking off boxes.

Increased speed, increased stamina, luck, social status, vitality just in case I got fucking killed again somehow. I stopped at 5 and bit my lip. _Ah, screw it._ Linguism and Advanced Immune System.

"All great choices! Now pick a world and get out of my office."

A flash, and then she was back in her seat, back to looking at her stack of work without a care in the world. I grimaced. I would hate to be stuck at a desk for eternity.

Flipping the sheet to the front- I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. Gazing at the never ending worlds...a number of them jumped out at me. There were worlds for every fictional series _ever. _Even what I could only assume were fictional worlds from _other _worlds. I was sure that if I asked- there would be more that just weren't able to fit on the single page.

Twilight, Pokemon, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Inuyasha, Tokyo Ghoul, The Avengers. Anime names I recognized but never watched. Movies, television series. _People always did say that media is inspired by subconscious things we've seen from other realms in our sleep and shit._

I found myself checking off a box belonging to, surprisingly, one of the more convoluted and disastrous worlds.

Naruto.

As soon as the ink finished drying- the paper began _glowing_ and dissolved between my fingertips. Before I could even ask what was going on, my fingers followed suit. I watched as my molecules fizzled into nothingness at lightning speed.

The last thing I saw and heard before the rest of my body went-

"OH! And there'll be some downsides to the perks, just to even it all out. Good luck!"

A pair of red acrylics waving and a bashful expression.

What fucking downsides? What kind of a gift needs to be evened out? I found myself wishing I knew her name so I could scream it at her.

I settled for just screaming in general.

Funnily enough, that's _exactly_ how I entered the next world.

* * *

**Authors Note**: I decided to end it here so that you guys, the readers, could let me know what I should do for the social status aspect. I figure by her choosing that- that means she would be reborn an Uzumaki, related to the Hokage, a main branch Hyuuga, something like that. Let me know what you think I should have her be-

The sooner I get suggestions, the sooner I can write the update! Love all you readers, till next time.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

_First Sight_

* * *

Hiruzen Sarutobi is an old, old, old man. In my opinion at least. And yet- the social standing perk very clearly made itself known in the form of my existence.

The old coot knocked someone up. I couldn't fuckin' believe it when I woke up in the arms of the man himself. I stared up at his wrinkled face with nothing but curiosity. How? Who's guts was he re arranging? Doesn't he have a cane? I couldn't fathom it. He cooed a new name and traced his fingers across my barely there tuft of hair.

"Tsuru-Chan" he'd said.

Sarutobi Tsuru had a nice ring to it. There was no denying that.

I spent my time as a potato, I mean infant, listening and waiting. I couldn't help but thank the stars that I'd chosen Linguism considering I picked that _before_ knowing where I was headed. I found out that I was born just _before_ Naruto, because a very _very_ far along Kushina came storming into my makeshift nursery in the Hokage's office demanding to meet me. She was impossibly pretty and loud like a boom mic. I only saw her that one time.

It wasn't long after that- the nine tails let loose on Konoha and the main man himself was born.

My father disappeared and a member of Anbu with a disturbing mask, one that reminded me of Shukaku, watched over me. I could sense and taste the demonic chakra in the air that night. It was invading my every sense. Sight, smell. I kept hearing screams. Even knowing that I probably wouldn't die having picked Vitality and **just** been born, I passed out thinking that was _it. _I woke up in a baby baking tank otherwise known as an incubator. Actually it looked low tech to put it nicely..let's just say that Konoha's got nothing on Kaiser.

Dad nearly ripped out what little hair he had, stressing when I didn't just wake so easily. It took a week for me to re stabilize. After that- I caught two conversations in which he told people that '_my ability to sense chakra affects me deeply'_ in wonderment and that I 'would be a strong kunoichi.'

_I guess that's lucky._

I was so wrapped up in everything that on my first birthday; only then did I realize I forgot where I came from.

I forgot about the fact that people were back in my home world grieving me. I couldn't let that determine how I acted moving forward. I would have to work on remembering that time, honoring Elizabeth as I live my new life. Even when it hurts. It's not like I have time to be anyone _other_ than Tsuru. That would get me or somebody around me killed; if I didn't grieve properly.

Sometimes I cried low and quietly when I was left alone. I knew the Anbu could hear it and my dad would always be aware. But I had to get the hurt out.

My first word turned out to be a first _sentence_ and was said entirely on accident. Sitting on my playmat and pretending like my dolls are ninja- I didn't realize when I began voicing the little characters aloud. By age 3; I began molding chakra and dreaming up Ninjutsu. I didn't know what Hiruzen's (it felt odd calling him anything other than dad considering he wiped my ass) chakra nature could be….so I listened to hear any mention of it with baited breath. No such luck. Still.

I knew I wanted to make a seal to use on Sasuke, _If_ I could figure Fuinjutsu out.

I'd seen a number of fan made videos discussing the hatred of the Uchiha clan and its link to Naruto being a reincarnate of Asura and Sasuke being one of Indra. Enough to know that if not for that and the cursemark- maybe the latter of the two would go down a different path. If I could figure out how seals work then I could make one with the ability to filter all foreign chakra from Sasuke's body as well as reject new seals. So when Orochimaru bit him- nothing would happen. I would probably end up enraging the snake sannin.

It was all just ideas anyways...the daydreams of an adult in a toddlers body.

From thongs and parties to diapers and rubber kunai.

I began to wonder about those downsides that woman mentioned. I hoped none of them would cripple me. Like Rock Lee's screwy chakra coils. Mine _felt _like they were in working order. I'd been able to (surprisingly) hold a leaf to my forehead. In fact, I could hold multiple. Controlling chakra came to me extremely easily because I recognized it as something in my body I had never ever experienced. Having tenketsu...its unlike any other feeling. Knowing my own biology pretty well from watching the anime was also a huge help.

If my father found me odd- I couldn't tell.

He never looked at me weird or voiced any concerns. I looked a lot like him with his complete set of facial features, just fuller lips and my hair was crazy different. When I first crawled over to a reflective surface- I fell over in surprise. Luckily the room was carpeted so I didn't crack my precious undeveloped skull. That wouldn't have been very _lucky_.

My nose and jawline, for a toddler, could cut glass. My hair curled in tight coils like I'd always dreamed of having but I didn't know where it got its color from. Dark blue. The same shade as Hinata's if my memory served correct.

I didn't talk often but when I did, I usually had something important to say.

""Otou-San '' I spoke up one afternoon, dropping my crayons with a dull expression "I'm bored. Can I learn something with chakra, pretty please?"

He looked up from his paperwork with an amused but withered smile.

"And what shall I teach you?"

I frowned and paused.

_What __**should **__I learn? Fuck if I know..._

"Hand signs?" I said simply.

Mastering them at a young age would make the academy a much less shitty process to go through, that much I was aware of. My dad laughed outright and nodded his head. I guess that was a weird thing for a toddler to ask to be taught. Even in a ninja village.

"Alright. Let's begin."

He walked at a regular pace, cane in hand, and placed the do not disturb sign on the door. He then made his way over to my leaf village playmat and plopped down. I was in awe. My old man, The Hokage. Just chillin with me.

For that time- I left behind all my worries and lived in the moment.

I _just _learned.

* * *

I entered the academy right after my 5th birthday.

With two baby blue lunch sacks in tow, a toothy grin on my face, and Asuma (my big brother) holding my hand- I was the picture of confidence. Our father tied back the hair out of my face with an adorable pair of butterfly clips like something from my life as Elizabeth, and shoved me into a pink kimono that screamed _Hokage's Daughter. _I didn't really care about how I looked in the slightest though.

_I'm about to meet Naruto! _I thought with feverish excitement.

"What're you most excited to learn, eh Tsuru-Chan?" Asuma asked, cigarette dangling from his lips, finger lifted up in mid light.

I wrinkled my nose in distaste at it but said nothing, since I smoked like a chimney when I was his age.

"I don't think the academy will teach me what I want to learn _but_ I hope to make up my own awesome Ninjutsu, bring back the art of Sealing to Konoha...stuff like that. I also dream of having a really strong Summons. Like tigers!"

I truly sounded, and felt, my age for once. _Aside from my advanced vocabulary. _But that much could be written off due to my upbringing as a political figure.

_Entrance Ceremony._

Ahead I could see the Academy and I forgot about the conversation- I grabbed Asuma's hand in a death grip and dragged forward with a gleeful kick off to start my running. He made a strangled sound of protest but didn't exert any force into getting away.

Only to hit a wall.

A wall in green. Bright green.

_Oh, oh no._

"Forgive me, Hime!"

* * *

**Authors Note**: So after the first chapter- I couldn't decide what to do in regards of who her fam is and eventually while smoking I just said screw it and went with Hokage because I figured that's like 'the all' of alls. Hiruzen may not play a giant role in the story but being the daughter of the 3rd seemed to be the best option as far as resources and plotline.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

_Bentos and Bonding_

* * *

Lee is fucking adorable in person.

Just in case anyone was wondering.

Without stopping for even a second-

"You'll only be sorry if we're late, now" I grabbed a hold of his hand with my free one, ignoring my brother's snickering, "c'mon!"

People stared and whispered wherever I went. Mostly because nobody knew who my mother was so I became a local 'scandal.' But not everyone was aware of that- so some were just trying to get a look at the Hokage's youngest. Either way...I hoped the staring would cease once I became an accomplished ninja. If it didn't- I'd have to settle for running across rooftops most of the time.

The green suited boy seemed to perk up at the inclusiveness and sped to meet my pace with a cheerful grin on his face. Yeah, definitely Lee. Asuma grumbled but didn't resist, allowing himself to be tugged along. The auditorium of the academy is underground, and when we went down I was thrown for a loop. Place was big. Hecka big. I ended up clenching my new companion's hand as well as my big brothers. I'd been in bigger theatres and around more overwhelming crowds. I just wasn't a 5 year old- looking up at it all then.

Dad stood center stage in his special hat and robes, face paint too. Looking powerful as ever.

"Maa" Asuma started off sounding a lot like Kakashi "I gotta get up there with Tou-San."

I frowned. He flickered. _Gone. _

"Introductions are in order!"

I turned to Lee and swallowed, wondering if he'd still be one of my favorite character's by the end of the day. I quickly dismissed the thought and offered him a bright smile. My first friend. Unless I somehow screwed things up. Though I doubted that would be possible with my choice of companion in particular.

Hey, he knew the words 'introductions' and 'forgive'. That makes him smarter than the average bear. Most of the other five year olds wouldn't be talking like that for a year or so. Aside from the clan heads- he might actually get some of what I say.

"Sarutobi Tsuru" I said "I hope we can be friends."

Sparkles appeared in his eyes and wrapped bandaged hands around both of my own, clasping them close and grinning crazily. At that moment...I had an inkling that nobody had offered that in his time being alive thus far. He wasn't just happy but _moved. _Anyone could see how warmed he was.

"Lee Rock at your service, Tsuru-Hime. It would be an honor!"

* * *

For my first day at the academy- I brought an extra lunch. I knew well enough that there would be opportunity to make friends in that case, everyone loves food. Especially food cooked by the Sarutobi's personal chef. A portly man named Nakada, Ichiraku's distant cousin. I _had_ planned on sharing it with Naruto.

Yet; I found myself sitting under a cherry blossom tree and unwrapping the contents before a different orphan.

Drool leaked from the side of Lee's mouth, which hung open, as he stared lovingly down at the box of onigiri. There was enough there to feed an Akimichi- with a side of kinpira gobo (soy vegetable stir fry) and two small bottles of what I could only describe as carbonated juice. It was the closest thing to soda Konoha had.

I grinned toothily and held out one of the beverages.

Lee took it- his hands shaking and his eyes watering.

"Thank you, Tsuru-Chan" I had beaten the more casual honorific into him on the walk out of the auditorium "I will forever recall such a lovely gesture!"

As if to punctuate his point, his stomach growled.

I giggled.

What a weird kid. Like me.

_Well, not a reborn adult with knowledge of the future. But still._

Just then I caught a yellow telltale blur out of the corner of my eye that could only be our resident hero. Without even thinking, I threw out my arm and caught his ankle. It appeared he hadn't seen us. The shade being thick, Lee's outfit being green, and my frame about the size of someone twice as young as me- I couldn't be too surprised by that fact.

"Hey, hey!" Naruto squaked indignantly and tried to protest, yanking his ankle and attempting (but failing) to free it. He stared down at me with a facial expression that I'm positive he reserved for hateful merchants "what's the big idea, 'dattebane?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to eat with us" I said simply, causing more hearts to appear around Lee.

"How kind of you, Tsuru-Chan! Yes, join us! _The more the merrier!_"

I couldn't be happier with that statement, considering it seemed more likely to me that without any particular guidance growing up he'd believe what the rest of Konoha believed. _He's a demon. _Of course that wasn't the case. I cast my smile over to Lee somewhat fondly. Yeah. Favorite character for sure.

He'd been a sweetie in the anime, and was a sweetie in real life. I shouldn't have been surprised.

I released Naruto's ankle and held up my own box containing a bento towards him. It looked like he wanted to protest or argue about it being charity or something but his stomach roared just as loudly as Lee's and I couldn't help but wonder if the orphanage was actually fuckin' feeding them. Probably not. If they were, it was most likely a bowl of sticky rice and water. Trash. I grimaced. The thought put a bad taste in my mouth.

The yellow head plopped down beside me, roughly bumping Lee and I with his knees and grabbing the nearest pair of chopsticks.

"Wow" Naruto joined the drool train as his eyes trailed over the steaming stir fry "this looks delicious. Did your Kaa-Chan make all this?"

I bit back my reaction. He didn't mean to be assumptious, he's only five- I reminded myself.

"Ah, no" I began splitting up the two separate lunches into smaller meals for three "the Sarutobi personal chef, his name is Nakada. I don't know my mother."

Lee didn't look phased in the least and I concluded he must have already known.

Naruto scrunched up his nose and forehead almost comically, whiskers cute as ever.

"You have your own chef?"

I didn't wince at the incredulous tone like I may have once upon a time, when I was Elizabeth. I literally chose luck and chose to be born to a fortuitous family. So in my eyes, all of the uncanny good things around me were just a result of those. Reminders that I'd died before I was supposed to. Even though such perks were meant to make amends.

"My father is the Hokage" I explained, enjoying the utter shock and disbelief.

His big baby blues darted all over my form, going from the pink robe, to the butterfly clips in my hair. I shared a look with Lee thinking 'now he gets it.'

"Sarutobi Tsuru" I smiled at Naruto "I hope that we can be friends."

"Y-yeah!" Naruto's cheeks burned bright red "believe it, 'dattebane! I'm gonna be the next hokage so you should remember the name, its Uzumaki Naruto!" he pumped one of his fists in the air, using his free hand to load his chopsticks up with as much food as he could.

Lee marvelled with a little 'o' shape in his mouth.

"You want to be hokage someday, Uzumaki-San?"

And that was how I spent my first day at the academy. I knew I wanted to befriend Naruto but Lee seemed to have been plopped down on my lap by the universe itself. And who was I to argue with the universe?

Asuma was waiting for me by the front of the academy next to a gaggle of orphans led by an obtuse woman, and I couldn't help but gawk at the bitch. She clearly was well off. Lipstick red, expensive, a purse, expensive, heels that actually fit such outlandishly big feet, expensive. Her lips were thin and seemed set in a permanent frown with her brown hair done up in an ornate style.

I looked at the boney, dirty, bodies besides her that matched my new friends. It disgusted me to see someone clearly _overspending _on themselves, clearly eating perfectly fine, when all of her charges were starving and filthy.

Just before we reached my big brother, I let myself lose my calm composure for a moment and wrapped both Naruto and Lee in a airtight hug.

"Hime!" Naruto whined.

Lee didn't protest and instead rubbed his own face against mine in a cat like display of affection.

I let them go rather reluctantly and ignored the whispers going on around me. I ignored the curtain moving overhead from where I knew all of the teachers and my father to be watching.

"From now on, I would very much like it if you two visited the Sarutobi compound for lunch. If not every day, then every other. I can have my father send for you if Whale-San" I pointed at the duck footed leader of the orphans "tries to say anything about it."

She seemed to be resisting the urge to say something, eyeing my outstretched finger as if she could light it on fire with her mind.

Naruto and Lee both start drooling as the cogs turned in their head. I'm sure they were thinking 'I get to eat rich all the time now?' Yes. I couldn't feed every starving kid in Konoha, yet, but opening my home and resources to Lee and Naruto would be no detriment to me or my father or my siblings. Asuma-Nii had his own apartment and our eldest sibling, the father of Konohamaru, Kai was well busy with his blossoming bun in the oven.

"You mean it, Tsuru-Chan?" Lee clasped his hands over mine once more.

I snorted.

"I don't say anything that I don't mean."

I left them with that and a demure smile, heading towards Asuma with one thing in mind and one thing only. A bubble bath. One of the few comforts from my world that this world had that I was given access to. I was sure once I'd become a full blown killer- I'd be frequenting bars and smoke shops like it was nobody's business. I wrapped my tiny hand around Asuma's large one, and met his bemused gaze.

"I take it things went well?" he teased, pinching my cheeks. Something only he could get away with doing.

"Very" I cast my sight back over to the crowd Naruto and Lee were rejoining, watching the other parentless children make fun. "I told them to come eat at the compound for lunch every day."

I looked back at Asuma to see how he'd react to such a thing. His poker face held and I cursed the monk training he'd gone through just before I was born.

"I told them if Whale-San has a problem with it, she can take it up with dad."

He cracked a little, snorting and grinning.

"Tsuru...you're a ruthless little five year old. I wasn't using Otou to get my way until I was at least a genin."

"To-mae-to" I released his hand and threw my belongings into his arms "Tuh-mah-to."

* * *

**Authors Note: **I wouldn't consider this filler because its the beginning of Lee, Naruto, and Tsuru's friendship. I didn't actually plan on having them become a mischievous trio- I simply thought ending the second chapter with her bumping into Lee would be hilarious. While at the same time had already written that she only brought _one _extra lunch. So having a moment where they were eating came and then before I knew it, Tsuru was grabbing Naruto's ankle LOL

I really wanna thank all the people who've reviewed so far, I get so _so _so excited when I see that number go up one and I get to really _see _that people are enjoying what I'm writing. When I see the favorites and alert list I just see names of people who like reading it but don't have anything to say about it which makes me feel like I'm not doin my job right as the author.

SO big BIG thanks and love to: Nayrcon, Kopol (even though all you said is Minato's generation is better?,) Bakkughan your review was such a blessing I felt so good after reading it, Jaipauludaipaul and Epro987654 special thanks for being my first two reviewers and the reason this story didn't get thrown in the trash.


	4. Omake 1

**Authors Note: **After I updated the other day- I got excited and wrote an outline for the story, for the upcoming chapters, and decided that I wanted to put a 'palette cleanser' if you will in between chapters.

Feel free to skip it/them but from now on, in between you will be getting some short stories. They'll give insight on different characters' feelings you wouldn't know as Tsuru and show us some of the less important to storyline but more important to character development moments.

Omake

* * *

Sarutobi Tsuru stood at the front of an entirely wooden compound in the heart of Konoha with a smile plastered on her face and her brother at her side. Naruto and Lee walked at a relatively fast pace up the path despite their ever-growing nervousness.

She could sense them coming from twelve blocks away, Tsuru noted, rocking back and forth on her heels. Naruto's chakra was blue and felt like caffeine. Lee's was, surprisingly the opposite, purple and felt like pinpricks. Like a limb falling asleep. They were one hell of a combination. Luckily, having grown up in the Hokage's office and encountering many different chakra signatures got her used to such sensations.

In another version of things- Lee and Naruto wouldn't meet until the Chunin exams.

Tsuru liked _her_ _reality_ a lot better.

The two orphans just meshed well, somehow both being so crazy that it resulted in an air of rare seriousness you would have trouble recreating when separating the two.

"My friends!" Tsuru tugged on Asuma's jonin vest excitedly.

He snorted, chewing on a piece of gun absentmindedly.

Naruto lit up at the sound of her voice and suddenly forgot his nerves.

He had thought he heard her wrong when she originally said she wanted him to have lunch with her. Then her friend, Lee, agreed and also extended the invitation. The green jumpsuit wearing kid stood separate from all the other orphans just like Naruto. Naruto never had the courage to reach out. I don't need anybody, he had thought.

That one lunch changed a lot.

That night- Lee moved his bed over by Naruto's and the other kids became weary about picking on them as a duo. They still endured teasing but the habitual abuse had ceased.

Naruto thought it a miracle.

_And now…_

"Tsuru-Chan! This is such an honor" Lee squeaked as they came to a halt, his eyes glazed over and trailing up with compound's humongous walls.

_Me casa es su casa, _she wants to teasingly say.

"Welcome to our home" Tsuru settles with saying instead; smiling brightly.

She looked as put together as she had that first day. Her blue curls tucked neatly into a bun with a pair of chopsticks sticking out of it, and she wore a summer kimono that looked like it cost more than the entire property of the orphanage. Naruto swallowed that last thought a little bitterly. Lee thought she looked like an angel.

No one had ever offered them kindness let alone someone their own age and the daughter of the hokage.

"Asuma-Nii, go away now" Tsuru gave him a not so polite shove "you're stifling my social growth."

The middle child to the Sarutobi compound chuckled. He cast a glance over at his little sister's choice of companions. Then back over to her, looking contemplative.

"I suppose I could go elsewhere" he propped his head back on his palms with a cheeky grin "but Tou-San and Konohamaru are going to be eating with us today, just so you know."

That sparked the image of her eldest brother, Kai, Konohamaru's father. He hadn't been shown in canon. He looked _just_ like Biwako- in the same way that she resembled Hiruzen so strongly. They didn't get to see each other much but often Tsuru would get stuck babysitting his little crotch goblin.

She cursed under her breath- already thinking about a plan as Asuma flickered away.

* * *

"This is where you train, 'dattebane?!"

"This is where you sleep?!"

Lee and Naruto's surprise seemed to never cease.

Tsuru looked amused.

The trio ended up sitting under the tree Hashirama made for her father forever ago, it sat at the base of the compound and was home to squirrels and birds that terrified Naruto. He'd been even more disgusted when the Sarutobi heiress announced that they would end up killing creatures just like that to survive on long missions. She was a weird kid- both Lee and Naruto knew that.

But who cares when the rest of the world is just plain _evil_?

At least, to orphans it is.

A cloudless blue sky above- Tsuru was soaking in the moment. Childhood is fleeting- she remembers.

"My other nii-chan, older than Asuma, and his son, are gonna be at lunch" she announced, unsure whether or not they were paying attention when that bit of information was said. "I usually get left behind watching the monster but now I have my friends- you guys can help me."

She said it as a matter of fact.

Lee cried tears of joy.

"Tsuru-Chan, you refer to use with such affection!"

Naruto furrowed his brow, leaning back on his elbows.

"A monster, huh?"

The girl giggled, earning looks from them.

"I actually have a hunch that he'll quite like you."

They chatted about everything from the kind of ninja they want to be, to how disgusting and overrated kimchi is. Tsuru tried to convince Lee to ditch the bowl cut and failed. Naruto awkwardly asked why they didn't avoid him like the rest of Konoha, which was pretty simply answered. _You're awesome, _Tsuru said. _I only wish I had approached you sooner, Naruto Kun! _Lee shouted.

Eventually- there was a flicker and then...

Tsuru's face pressed into the dirt, a ninja sandel on her back.

Naruto and Lee gasped- nearly jumping out of their skin.

"Lunch is ready!" Asuma announced with a smirk, only to disappear as quickly as he'd arrived.

The boys looked horrified to see the girl so undignified for the first time but it seemed that was normal. She got up with ease and dusted off the dirt- grinning.

"It's okay, I'm the one who started that last year when I figured out how to channel chakra to my feet. Also I'm _crazy fast._"

Tsuru cracked her knuckles with a glint in her eyes, her bun knocked to the side entirely.

"I'll get Asuma-Nii. And Kai-Kun too just for association!"

For a five year old- she's pretty scary. Scarier than the head of the orphanage, Naruto thinks.

* * *

Citrus soba noodles, sesame beef wraps, yakitori chicken, and yaki gyoza (fancy dumplings.)

A toddler on her lap.

Lee sat frozen in awe of Hiruzen, and Naruto's eyes were plastered to the food before them. He'd never seen so much. The smells were new, things he never experienced. Tsuru stared discontented down at Konohamaru. Kids just weren't her thing. She doubted they ever would be.

When she looked up at the table-

"Maa, I'm surprised we're not obese" she said casually, breaking the silence.

Hiruzen chuckled.

Kai, having just returned from a year long mission tracking a missing nin, raised his brow.

"Waa?" He placed one handed under his chin and scrutinized her "where did you learn such words? How long was I gone for?"

His hair had grown a few inches past his eyebrows and a light amount of stubble covered his jaw. He was starting to look his age. Tsuru bit back a comment, not wanting to call him an old man in front of guests.

Asuma began unloading food onto his plate which launched Naruto into action. Hiruzen watched this with amused eyes- remembering such a time when Kushina ate at the compound.

Tsuru scrunched her nose up at her eldest brother.

"I read. I'm a reader, Baka-Nii" she reached up and let her hair down.

"Introduce us to your guests, Tsuru-Chan" their father interrupted, drawing all eyes towards him.

Lee turned red.

Naruto wilted- a mouthful of chicken hanging between his teeth.

"Uzumaki Naruto, and Lee Rock" Tsuru carefully began filling her entire plate with noodles and pork "they're smarter than the other kids."

Naruto joined Lee in his shade of crimson, unused to such compliments.

"I bet if we became a genin team- Konoha would never have another problem again!" This she said with fervor, a cat like smirk resembling Asuma's on her face.

_She knows in the back of her mind-_

_That isn't how things go._

Introductions went well- with Lee gushing over the beauty of the village and Naruto practically interrogating Hiruzen about what it's like to be hokage. Konohamaru threw his pork at Naruto and mocked him _'hokage, hokage!' _Kai got up early and announced his leave- saying his wife would skin him alive if he prolonged his return home any more than he already had. He even told Tsuru that, Naruto, herself, and Lee, should stop by for dinner sometime.

Something Naruto marvelled at. Acceptance seemed widespread amongst the family. Tsuru's older siblings regarded him with the same worried look that the teachers did. But they spoke to him different. Offered kindness, unfaltering.

By the end of the meal- both orphans were sporting what Tsuru thought resembled beer belly's.

"Otou-San" she said, shooting her best puppy dog eyes towards her father "will you escort Naru-Kun and Lee-Kun home instead of Asuma-Nii?"

The hokage is a busy man.

But never too busy for his children.

"If it must be so" Hiruzen sighed, entirely unphased by such things.

After- all; he'd never forget hearing his little angel refer to the head of the orphanage as 'Whale-San.'

* * *

Authors Note: Ch4 will be up soon! Within the day!

Also I want to write a successful Minato/Obito/Kakashi gen fic since I keep starting them and then they don't get very much attention; if any of you have suggestions, I would very much appreciate them~~


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

_Teeth and Trouble_

* * *

Fast like Sonic The Hedgehog,

Clumsy like Helen Keller.

Guess what?

One of the downsides to my perks I'd chosen- I discovered: I'm a disaster at taijutsu.

Ironic considering Lee is one of my best friends.

Konohomaru cheers me on from the sidelines.

I'm six now.

I dove at Kai-Nii with all of my speed for the hundredth time, now aware of such shortcomings. I needed to get a really good hit in but it wouldn't happen if I gave him the chance to blitz me with his ratchet version of gentle fist. I cursed whoever taught him such an atrocious style.

Fighting my eldest brother was like someone gave a Hyuuga a bunch of sake and a tanto.

He moved to bat me away with his blade like he had been- and I embraced the damage, instead going towards it and attaching my teeth to his wrist. I wasn't giving him a love bite, like what he calls it when Konohamaru used to gnaw on his thumb. In fact: I don't know what I was doing.

In the back of my mind- I remembered Karin.

I pressed my chompers down, and simply thought about taking his chakra.

Being a natural sensor, always being aware of the energy around myself and others, my eyes widened- I _felt_ and _watched_ the green aura go into my teeth. Pinging sensations travelled throughout my jawline to the rest of my body, distracting me as Kai tossed me across the field.

Suddenly- I felt a lot more awake. Like someone gave me a shot of adrenaline.

Kai waved his arm around like a big baby.

"Tsuru-yokai!" _Demon, _I snorted "what kind of Inuzuka shit?!"

Asuma clapped. I looked over. His big hands were around Konohamaru's little ones, the two sets celebrating my dirty move.

"Did you take chakra from me?" Kai questioned, looking at me like I just told him I was the next jinchuriki. He slid his tanto back into its carrier on his waist, only slightly caring about his bloodied wrist and much more interested in what I'd just done.

To be fair; the chakra suckage wasn't planned.

I certainly didn't expect it to work.

"I hadn't known that was gonna happen" I asserted calmly "that's fucking awesome, though."

Kai deadpanned, his whole face freezing and an air of dread forming around him.

"Imouto..." Kai's voice wavered brokenly as he addressed Asuma with a finger pointed.

"You have poisoned our sweet sister! Why does she know the word 'fuck'?!"

We closed the distance between us all, both of my Nii-San's moving to stare at me as if waiting for an explanation.

"Makeout Paradise is a great read, my favorite part is when-"

They reacted with lightning speed.

Asuma fell over and shut down. His automatic defense mechanism when I said pervy things to derail conversations.

Kai cut me off by shoving a golden box in my face.

"Here, foul beast! Accept this offering and never mention such things again!"

I could see humor behind his pretty brown eyes. That, and fear. They _really_ despised the idea that I knew what sex was at such a young age. All it did was entertain me; watching them thrash like fishies out of water.

"Ooo" I cooed, grabbing the container.

Its weight surprised me and I fought not flinching.

"Now that you're officially on the road to becoming a ninja" Asuma said this while slowly rising from the floor, a look of numbness of his face, the words sounding rehearsed.

"Your big brothers have to prepare you to protect yourself!" Kai finished, only slightly more lively but still sounding pretty traumatized.

I couldn't wait so much as another second.

I flicked the lid off the box like it was a bottle cap, a chakra enhanced burst sending it across the field, like the behemoth I was.

_Oh,_

_My ,_

_God._

"They're called kusarigama."

A sickle on a thick chain, two of them. Bigger than a kid my age would normally carry, adult sized- I think.

"You're gonna master them which is good considering how awful you were just now."

This time, I was the one who fell over.

* * *

Late for the first time- I burst into my classroom trying not to look panicked.

_I made it._

I let out a few pants, thanking heaven for my super speed.

The only problem? My options for seating were more than limited. Some civilian born kid had snagged my chair and all that was left for me; was right beside the one and only Sasuke. His fangirls amongst the class glared at me with a low aura of killing intent wavering around their chakra and glints in their eyes.

I swallowed, steeled myself, and sat down.

I could _feel_ the little bitches creeping up on me.

Well...better I burst their bubble then the man himself. If Sasuke told them the truth- they'd be _crushed. _I will do the crushing.

The ring leaders, Ino and Sakura, reached my desk first. Sasuke's eyes followed their movements though he didn't move. Neither did I. I pretended not to see them knowing it would anger them even more.

"HEH HEM!"

Followed by an extremely fake cough.

I looked up ever so slowly and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

Ino's nostrils flared.

Sakura spoke first-

"You can't _have_ Sasuke-Kun!"

_Don't laugh, damn. Dontfuckinlaugh._

A snort escaped me.

"Neither can you" I grinned at Sasuke before looking back at them "because he's a person. You don't own him."

I could sense Naruto and Lee's chakra wavering with concern. Or amusement. It was _hard_ deciphering emotions outside of battle.

My words (as expected) only stirred the pot.

"We love Sasuke-Kun!"

"Yeah, Baka!"

The now fully formed group of females all erupted in proclamations of devotion and insults mostly pointed towards my appearance or brains. Both of which I knew were above average. It was sad really. Poor kids were arguing an adult.

I rolled my eyes and rested my head on my hand.

"Love is wanting the utmost _best_ and nothing less for someone. You don't know what love is. When you _truly_ fall in love someday, Kami help the poor bastard, you'll get it. Maa- you wouldn't be worried about _any_ other girls" I waved my free hand to dismiss them.

And then, the nail in the coffin; Sasuke accidentally let out a laugh.

The massacre had yet to go down but he was naturally introverted and hadn't made any attempts at friendship _since _school started. It was why they thought of him as 'mysterious.' In reality- I knew he just wanted to be at home training with his Itachi-Nii.

I resolved, with that thought, to invite the duckbutt over to train with Asuma and Kai as soon as he came back after Itachi did what he does. Unless I magically stopped the coupe or assassinated Danzo. But I didn't see either of those things happening.

"H-how do _you_ know what love is?" Sakura asked like it was an accusation.

"Same way I know that forehead is _not _gonna age well. It's simple facts."

The other girls gasped and it seemed that was enough. They scampered off back to the seats they were in originally. Sasuke must have arrived just before me, otherwise I was sure they'd have sat next to him.

"Sarutobi Tsuru" I held a hand out to the boy, who seemed stunned as hell that I'd been brave enough to address him.

He kind of had an ' I'm the Uchiha's next prodigy ' vibe of arrogance.

"I hope we can be friends" I said.

It worked on Lee and Naruto, why not him? I could see his chakra wavering with what I could only guess was suspicion.

Instead of shaking my hand- he just says "you're alright, for a girl."

I twitched.

_We're only six, we're only six. _I reminded myself. _You can only hold people accountable for what they say once you're all genin. _

I put my hand down and turned towards the front, just in time for Iruka-Sensei's arrival.

Another day, another lesson plan.

* * *

3rd Person

The Hokage's Office,

Midnight, That Night

Hiruzen took a long drag off his cigar, staring at his old friend and rival with withered eyes.

"How have things been with your youngest?" Danzo asked.

_Flashes of Tsuru at age 2, learning how to do everything under the sun and then some._

_Tsuru at age 4, sneaking and slamming her adult brothers into the ground with her chakra enhanced feet and speed._

_Tsuru as an infant, recovering from damaged chakra coils even having been safely kept away from the attack of the Kyuubi because of her natural sensing ability. _

"She is a wild card- that one" he said, coughing a bit "everytime I think that she's shown me how talented and smart she is, she pulls something new out of thin air. She reads. She spends all her time reading and meditating."

Danzo's interest had been piqued from the first line but a buzzed and weary Hiruzen hadn't noticed the glint appear in his companions eyes.

"At this rate- she'll have made genin before 8."

Konoha wasn't yet at ease. They were in between wars...not at peace.

Hiruzen took another puff.

"And she did the _most_ curious thing today."

He forgot who he was talking to. He felt like they were teenagers again. He wasn't remembering the children Danzo abducted and forced into Root a few years previous.

"Oh?"

The cogs were turning in the evil man's head.

"Asuma-Kun dropped by to let me know about a sparring match between my eldest and her. _Apparently_, she bit him and sucked some of his chakra out while doing so."

"That...that _is_ odd.."

_Power, _Danzo thought fiendishly, _how much power would I have if I taught the child? If his only daughter were not loyal to him, but to me? To the very organization he thought he'd gotten rid of…_

Danzo grinned when Hiruzen looked away.

Sometimes, the risk is worth the reward.

* * *

**Authors Note**: Woo! Crazy, right? Haha..what's that all about? I wanna say I adore you user Naycron. Your reviews are my priiiide and my jooooooy. Both times I read them I was like oooooomg someone likes my character. It's the best feeling. As for the idea of having the OC for my ObitoGeN fic, I would if I hadn't written and scrapped multiple Namikaze OC's rip them ripriprip. I keep coming back to the idea of having the OC be saved from the kekkei genkai slaughtering in Kiri and brought to Konoha but I dont know if people would be interested in that or just assume its Mary sue.


	6. Omake 2

Omake

* * *

Tsuru's aim and finesse with the kusarigama looked like she'd been fighting with them since she could walk, instead of the reality: they were only given to her _a week ago._

She started off by building momentum and swinging the chains around with either hand. The weird part being her application. Every time that she went in to make use of said chain, or strike a foe with her blade, it was like she was experiencing a muscle spasm. He'd seen her body protest similarly every time she practiced her taijutsu.

Lee stands at the front of the tatami mats and watches his best friend puke into the nearby bin; clearly having overdone it on exercise.

He'd been taught how to wield the kusarigama by Gai after meeting the man and he mastered them a few months before entering the academy, before befriending Tsuru. When she showed up at the orphanage holding such weapons- he and Naruto were all too quick to jump at the chance to leave with her. The Sarutobi compound had pretty much become their home except for waking up and having breakfast with the other orphans. The hokage stops by _every day _to see how the trio is getting on. That in its own way blew Lee's mind. He didn't think you _could _be a good father AND a good village leader.

Lee's pretty observant.

He's also quick to catch on. He notices a lot that he doesn't speak on..._usually. _

"Your muscles are experiencing convulsions when you attempt kicks, jumps, and dodges" he points out.

The sound of Tsuru's dry heaving fills the room.

"You may need to consult a medic if you want to continue use of _those_ weapons, or even taijutsu. You are good but...your body doesn't wish to cooperate. It is indeed a most odd problem to encounter."

His vocabulary increased exponentially as he picked up on every word his friends said, and Tsuru being a walking talking dictionary. He sounded like an odd hybrid of his sensei and his friends, even sometimes accidentally letting Naruto's verbal tic slip out of his own mouth.

She looks up from the bin and hucks a loogie on the carpeted side of the room.

Lee winces.

"Fuck a medic, we can do this! Believe it!" Tsuru shouts the catch phrase passionately.

_They are almost seven._

Meanwhile...

Naruto stands in front of several containers on the other side of the training area. Each one holding an assortment of weapons. Most of them are dinged up but they're _real. _

That's a big deal.

When you join the academy up until you graduate- you're made to use _training_ weapons. Wooden or imitation metal so they don't do any actual damage. Unless you're born to a clan or a shinobi family. Then you get proper guidance at a young age with the actual stuff.

And yet Tsuru just said it like it was nothing.

_Go ahead and take your pick, there's crates full of loot from Kai and Asuma's missions growing up that our Tou-San made them keep._

Lee has his own weapons and weights and whatnot since he managed to snag a sensei at age 4 by sneaking out to beat up training dummies bare handed, Naruto knows that. So she didn't _have_ to offer. He could've just watched her work from the sidelines and remembered it for later or something, as lame as that mighta been. Naruto didn't _expect _kindness.

Standing in front of the weapons,

Being given a chance to _really _become something for the first time-

He feels loved.

* * *

Danzo is a man with a plan.

He spends the entire night trying to come up with a way to induct Hiruzen's youngest into Root with any suspicion arising. No solutions come. He holds in his hand the schedule for her brothers and her father. It appeared they made sure one of them was with her or watching at all times _except _for when she was within the academy walls. And they hid it well considering the child herself cluelessly carried on.

_Or so he thinks. She is not a blind tot. _

He has fallen for the picture of herself she's painted to divert her teachers.

"In a year's time- I want Sarutobi Tsuru taken from the academy by a member of the harakiri heishi section."

_Suicide soliders. _

"Scare her and Hiruzen. Make it as real as possible. I'll declare that she needs to become stronger, offer to be her sensei while she's in the hospital. Sow seeds of doubt in her father's ability to govern. As she gets older, I can be more honest with her, and she'll feel more connected. Which will in turn give us power over the Jinchuriki, and _hopefully_ one day over the village."

Anbu Boar flickers away to take that command directly to the particularly desolate section of Root, the throwaways. The ones that didn't leave and eagerly awaited dying for Danzo.

_I will make her my student first, my puppet second, and her father's successor third_. The thoughts are followed by rage. _It's about time I gave up endlessly pining for the throne. If I can't be hokage, then I will elect his daughter and have her run Konoha into the ground._

* * *

**Authors Note**: Hey guys! She's shorter but only because the next chapter, Ch5, is going to be fucking packed. I'm talkin double zip locked its gonna be so fat. We've got a kidnapping, a massacre, we got a damn birthday, and Tsuru aka Elizabeth is bout to get started on her journey down fuinjutsu lane.

I know I'm evil. BUT I'm in the process of writing my next Naruto fic which will be updated consecutively alongside this one. And once I get that published this afternoon I'll be starting Ch5 immediately.

**Big thank you's and love for**: Dark Rose Charm and the blessing Naycron, y'all made my day with your kind words about this fic and its characters.

ALSO there won't be any romance until she's 16 or 17. When she's 13, we'll get to dive into puberty and hormones and I'll be sure to show some saplings for the romance to come BUT basically that's it. Also I haven't chosen who her genin team will be or who she'll end up, some things are still in the air, so if any of my readers have characters they're leaning towards- now is the time to let me know.


	7. Authors Note

My new Naruto fic is up, I wanted to post this to let any readers who may wanna check that out know.

Also I don't want other readers to be confused and I wanna address a review I just received

Quick note about Danzo: he absolutely loves Konoha, he'd rather commit suicide than 'run it in the ground'. The problem with him is that he's the type of guy that isn't satisfied with winning, he just wants others to lose. He'd set the world on fire if Konaha can rule its ashes. But the Konoha he loves (strong, dominating, unchallenged and brutal in what it wants) doesn't exist yet, so he feels that the only way for Konoha to truly prosper and become what it needs and deserves to be, is with him in charge.

He's a radical nationalistic war hawk. Running Konoha into the ground isn't something he would do.

\- Bakkughan

While I agree with what you're saying: Danzo is getting old. Yes he is set in those ways and an extremist. In the canon series, he continues pining after the position of Hokage till he dies. I simply think that with Tsuru existing, with Hiruzen having a child Danzo thinks is a susceptible prodigy, that he would shift gears and instead shape Konoha into his image by grooming Tsuru to succeed her father and then have her step down at an opportune time and elect him as her replacement.

Obviously that was a short omake so I didnt have Danzo going over _every _part of his plan it was simply meant to be an enticing spoiler to lead up to the next chapter and give a peak behind the scenes where as all of what I just explained WOULD have been explained in a normal chapter.

I apologize if you think this is unrealistic but this is why I wrote that and I like it and am sticking with it.

I hope this clears that up.


End file.
